Simulating the potential for ecological restoration of dryland forests in Mexico under different disturbance regimes

Examining the potential for ecological restoration is important in areas where anthropogenic disturbance has degraded forest landscapes. However, the conditions under which restoration of degraded tropical dry forests (TDF) might be achieved in practice have not been determined in detail. In this study, we used LANDIS-II, a spatially explicit model of forest dynamics, to assess the potential for passive restoration of TDF through natural regeneration. The model was applied to two Mexican landscapes under six different disturbance regimes, focusing on the impact of fire and cattle grazing on forest cover, structure and composition. Model results identified two main findings. First, tropical dry forests are more resilient to anthropogenic disturbance than expected. Results suggested that under both a scenario of small, infrequent fires and a scenario of large, frequent fires, forest area can increase relatively rapidly. However, forest structure and composition differed markedly between these scenarios. After 400 years, the landscape becomes increasingly occupied by relatively shade-tolerant species under small, infrequent fires, but only species with both relatively high shade tolerance and high fire tolerance can thrive under conditions with large, frequent fires. Second, we demonstrated that different forms of disturbance can interact in unexpected ways. Our projections revealed that when grazing acts in combination with fire, forest cover, structure and composition vary dramatically depending on the frequency and extent of the fires. Results indicated that grazing and fire have a synergistic effect causing a reduction in forest cover greater than the sum of their individual effects. This suggests that passive landscape-scale restoration of TDF is achievable in both Mexican study areas only if grazing is reduced, and fires are carefully managed to reduce their frequency and intensity.     

米氏凯伦藻对蒙古裸腹溞的毒性及致毒途径分析

米氏凯伦藻(Karenia mikimotoi Hasen)是一种典型的鱼毒性赤潮藻,近年来在我国频繁爆发,给水产养殖业带了严重的经济损失.在实验室条件下,采用混合培养、隔离培养等手段研究了米氏凯伦藻及不同细胞组分对枝角类蒙古裸腹溞(Moina mongolica)摄食与生存的影响,分析了其致毒途径.结果表明,随着混合...     

Global Warming, Human Population Pressure, and Viability of the World's Smallest Butterfly

Abstract:  The effects of climate change and habitat destruction and their interaction are likely to be the greatest challenge to animal and plant conservation in the twenty-first century. We used the world's smallest butterfly, the Sinai baton blue ( Pseudophilotes sinaicus ), as an exemplar of how global warming and human population pressures may act together to cause species extinctions. We mapped the entire global range of this butterfly and obtained extensive data on the intensity of livestock grazing. As with an increasing number of species, it is confined to a network of small habitat patches and is threatened both by indirect human-induced factors (global warming) and by the direct activities of humans (in this case, livestock grazing and collection of medicinal plants). In the absence of global warming, grazing, and plant collection, our model suggested that the butterfly will persist for at least 200 years. Above a threshold intensity of global warming, the chance of extinction accelerated rapidly, implying that there may be an annual average temperature, specific to each endangered species, above which extinction becomes very much more likely. By contrast, there was no such threshold of grazing pressure—the chance of extinction increased steadily with increasing grazing. The impact of grazing, however, decreased with higher levels of year-to-year variation in habitat quality. The effect of global warming did not depend on the future level of grazing, suggesting that the impacts of global warming and grazing are additive. If the areas of habitat patches individually fall below certain prescribed levels, the butterfly is likely to go extinct. Two patches were very important for persistence: if either were lost the species would probably go extinct. Our results have implications for the conservation management of all species whose habitats are at risk because of the direct activities of humans and in the longer term because of climate change.     

Dynamics of Steppe Vegetation under the Effect of Grazing by Different Farm Animals

The process of steppe pasture digression resulting from grazing by different farm animals was studied by the transect method. Sheep, cattle, and horse pastures under similar grazing loads markedly differed in the dynamics of steppe vegetation. The most critical changes in plant communities occurred in sheep pastures, whereas the state of plant communities in horse pastures was good.     

Comparative Assessment of the Effects of Livestock Grazing and Periodic Cutting on Steppe Plants of Tuva

A comparative study of the effects of heavy grazing load and periodic low cutting of above-ground phytomass on three plant species—Carex pediformis, Iris humilis, and Artemisia frigida—was performed in central Tuva in 1985–1989. Similar changes in the size of anatomical structures and ecophysiological characteristics of steppe plants were observed under the impact of both factors. They included signs of accelerated aging combined with adaptive reactions aimed at the most rapid development of shoots after the cessation of stress.     

放牧对呼伦贝尔草甸草原土壤呼吸温度敏感性的影响

放牧是影响草地生态系统碳循环过程的重要人类活动因素,定量研究放牧对土壤呼吸温度敏感性(Q10)的影响,对于准确评估草地碳收支和碳平衡至关重要.本研究依托呼伦贝尔草甸草原放牧梯度试验平台,利用动态密闭气室法(Li 6400-09)测量草地不同放牧梯度下的土壤呼吸作用.结果表明,不同放牧梯度下土壤呼吸具有明显的季节变化,且主要受温度因子主导,7月土壤呼吸速率达最大;2011年生长季5~9月不同放牧强度的平均土壤呼吸速率大小顺序为:G1(0.23Au·hm-2)>G0(未放牧)>G2(0.34 Au·hm-2)>G3(0.46 Au·hm-2)>G4(0.69 Au·hm-2)>G5(0.92 Au·hm-2).与不放牧相比,重度放牧(0.92 Au·hm-2)条件下Q10值减少了约10%,而轻度放牧(0.23 Au·hm-2)条件下Q10值略有升高.总体上,土壤呼吸温度敏感性(Q10)与放牧强度显著负相关(r=0.944,P<0.05),放牧不同程度地降低了土壤呼吸的温度敏感性.不同放牧梯度下Q10值与地上、地下生物量、土壤有机碳和土壤含水量之间存在显著的正相关线性回归关系,可以解释不同放牧梯度下Q10值71.0%~85.2%的变异性.放牧条件下Q10值发生变化本质上是生物因素和环境因子共同作用的结果.     

Preemptive and Salvage Harvesting of New England Forests: When Doing Nothing Is a Viable Alternative

Abstract:  One unexpected consequence of natural disturbances in forested areas is that managers often initiate activities that may impose greater ecosystem impacts than the disturbances themselves. By salvage logging areas affected by windstorms or other impacts, by harvesting host trees in advance of insect infestation or disease, or by preemptively harvesting forests in an attempt to improve their resilience to future disturbances and stresses, managers initiate substantial changes in the ecosystem structure and function. Much of this activity is undertaken in the absence of information on the qualitative and quantitative differences between disturbance impacts and harvesting. To provide insight for such decisions we evaluated the ecosystem consequences of two major disturbance processes in New England (U.S.A.)—intense windstorms and invasive pests and pathogens—and contrasted them with impacts from preemptive and salvage harvesting. Despite dramatic physical changes in forest structure resulting from hurricane impacts and insect infestation, little disruption of biogeochemical processes or other ecosystem functions typically follows these disturbances. Indeed, the physical and organic structures produced by these disturbances are important natural features providing habitat and landscape heterogeneity that are often missing due to centuries of land use. From an ecosystem perspective there are strong arguments against preemptive and salvage logging or the attempt through silvicultural means to improve the resistance or resilience of forests to disturbance and stress. There are often valid motivations for salvage or preemptive logging including financial considerations, human safety, and a desire to shape the long-term composition and resource-production characteristics of forests. Nonetheless, there are many ecological benefits derived from leaving forests alone when they are affected or threatened by disturbances and pest and pathogen outbreaks.     

人为干扰对马尾松次生林多样性的影响

利用Ｓｈａｎｎｏｎ多样性指数和均匀度来分析人为干扰对马尾松次生林木本植物多样性的影响，结果表明：马尾松次生林木本植物多样性指数为２左右（１．８５７９～２．１９４６），均匀度为０．７左右（０．７２４４～０．７７４６），物种多度分布符合对数级数分布，不同干扰强度对多样性和均匀度有一定影响，对物种多度分布没有影响，对马尾松林的更新有重要作用。